


A man in hue (all hues in his controlling)

by Jadzia_Bear



Category: Star Trek: Picard
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Hugh | Third of Five Lives, M/M, asexual hugh | third of five, homoromantic hugh, touch starved hugh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:26:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23629972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jadzia_Bear/pseuds/Jadzia_Bear
Summary: Hugh’s new friendship with Elnor means the world to him. There’s just one problem. Well, two.
Relationships: Elnor/Hugh | Third of Five
Comments: 11
Kudos: 66
Collections: Star Trek Fics





	A man in hue (all hues in his controlling)

**Author's Note:**

> The title is a quote from Shakespeare’s sonnet 20, inspired by the fact that Patrick Stewart is reading a sonnet a day on Instagram during the corona pandemic (and the fact that Hugh is at the mercy of Elnor’s adorableness).

“Popcorn, extra butter,” Elnor says to the replicator, and with a swirl of light, it appears.

Raffi taught the young Romulan about the human tradition of eating popcorn while watching movies and now he replicates a bowl every time.

Hugh starts the movie and Elnor sits down next to him, slouching into the couch like a teenager, bare feet up on Hugh’s coffee table and everything. Not that Hugh minds. He’s glad Elnor feels so relaxed in his quarters.

They both start on a handful of popcorn as the story gets going, something to do with rebels and spies. Hugh’s not too concerned about the plot, it’s the company he cares about most.

There’s a lot for Hugh to love about his new life on la Sirena, but his friendship with Elnor might just be at the top of the list.

Not because Elnor saved his life before the Artefact was destroyed, or even because Elnor is kind and sweet and brave. It’s because he’s someone Hugh can really be himself around, someone he doesn’t feel like he needs to prove anything to.

Elnor comes straight out with everything, so Hugh never has to wonder whether he’s secretly thinking less of him for being an xB. If Elnor has a question about Hugh’s scars or his implants or his past, he just asks, and he’s never offended if Hugh doesn’t want to talk about it.

And then there’s all the touching.

Since almost the first moment they met, it feels like Elnor’s had his hands on him in one way or another. The way he used his body to defend and support him on the Artefact, the way Hugh woke up in la Sirena’s sickbay afterwards with Elnor’s hand wrapped around his own, and every squeeze of his shoulder and touch of his arm ever since.

At first Hugh had assumed Elnor was hands-on with everyone, and to a degree he is, with the people he feels most strongly for at least. But Hugh is noticing that he seems to be on the receiving end of more of it than the others.

It’s not that he doesn’t like it, in fact he loves it. He loves it more than he should.

Even now, with Elnor pressed against his side here on the couch, it feels like plugging into an alcove when you’re long past due for regeneration. There’s a deep well inside him that’s been dry for so long and every little touch is another drop slowly filling him back up.

He’s been touched before, of course, but mainly by medical professionals as they’ve worked to remove implants and return his body to some sort of normality. And he’s been shoved and punched by thugs and bigots, but he’s never had anything like this before.

It’s intoxicating, honestly, to be touched like he’s not a monster or a curiosity. To have someone prove to him over and over again that they’re not afraid of him, not repulsed.

There’s just one problem.

He’s beginning to think that Elnor might want… more.

Those incidental touches seem to be lingering longer, fingertips trailing rather than making a clean break.

Elnor has even fallen asleep in his bed a couple of times accidentally, on the nights when they’ve talked or watched movies until the early hours of the morning. And Hugh _loved_ it, no question, sleeping with Elnor’s comforting warmth beside him. But he mustn’t let it happen again, it sends the wrong message.

Somehow he needs to find a way to gently ward off Elnor’s advances, if that’s even what they are, before things go any further and something happens that ruins this precious, irreplaceable friendship.

Elnor sets the popcorn aside and shifts to tuck a leg beneath him on the couch.

Then he slides his palm against Hugh’s and interlocks their fingers.

Elnor’s never held his hand like this before and it’s _heavenly_ but this is not a thing friends do. Just another second or two of this divine pleasure of so many touch receptors firing at once, and Hugh is going to pull away.

“Hugh, I think I’m in love with you.”

Hugh wouldn’t have thought it was possible to feel like his heart was sinking and soaring at the same time, and yet here he is.

“I mean, I’m not completely sure because I’ve never been in love with anyone before,” Elnor continues, his sweet face as open and honest as ever, “but I think about you all the time. I want to spend every minute of the day with you, and I want to be the one in your bed every night.”

Hugh watches the colours and shadows of the movie flicker over the perfect angles of his face as he talks.

“When you look into my eyes, it makes my heart want to burst,” Elnor says, resting a hand over this vulnerable place in his chest. 

Being touched, being wanted, being… _loved,_ feels so good, and for a moment Hugh thinks maybe he could do this, maybe he could pretend to want sex so that he can have all these other wonderful things that go along with it.

But in the next moment he knows, that’s not fair on either of them.

Hugh’s cheeks start to burn as he thinks of the things he needs to say, but he tries to be brave and honest like Elnor.

“Elnor, I think I love you too,” he begins, “you’re beautiful inside and out and there’s nothing that makes me happier than being in your company.”

He brushes the backs of his fingers over Elnor’s cheek, because this is all about to crash and burn and he’ll never have the chance again.

“But I don’t experience sexual attraction,” he explains. “I don’t know whether it was caused by the assimilation process or whether I was always meant to be this way, but…” he trails off, unsure what else to say.

Hugh waits for Elnor to pull his hand back, waits to find out just how much damage has been done to their friendship. The movie plays on, entirely forgotten.

“I didn’t anticipate that response,” Elnor admits, “but that’s on me.”

He’s quiet for a moment, thumb rubbing back and forth over Hugh’s knuckles as he thinks. “Do you like kissing?”

Hugh’s cheeks burn again at the thought of answering that question, but he knows he’s safe with Elnor.

“I don’t know,” Hugh admits, “no one’s ever kissed me before.”

“Then they’re all fools,” Elnor says, with a conviction only he can manage. “May I kiss you?”

Hugh nods, feeling as young and naïve as when he first left the Collective.

Elnor turns a little more to face him, so Hugh does the same. He feels like he has butterflies everywhere, not just swirling in his stomach, but swarming up through his chest and fluttering all over his skin.

And then Elnor simply leans in and kisses him.

It’s just a light press of lips on lips and yet it’s an explosion of sensations—Elnor’s warm breath on his skin, the gentle scent of him that’s now so familiar, the feeling of his soft lips on such a sensitive part of Hugh’s own body.

He tastes of butter and popcorn, which Hugh hadn’t anticipated, but of course makes sense.

And then Elnor kisses him again, a little more deeply this time, and Hugh likes that even more. As amazing as holding hands is, it’s got nothing on kissing.

Elnor slides his fingers into the hair at Hugh’s nape, so Hugh rests a hand on Elnor’s shoulder. He decides that he likes the grounded feeling it gives him and how it allows him to better anticipate Elnor’s movements.

Elnor uses his gentle fingers to tilt Hugh’s head slightly, then teases at the seam of his lips with the tip of his tongue. Hugh’s lips fall open in surprise and Elnor’s tongue delves a little deeper. Hugh feels like he’s being washed away in a tide of pleasure and intimacy he didn’t even know existed as Elnor’s tongue gently explores his mouth.

He loses himself in the rhythm of the kiss, allowing Elnor to guide him and letting his body respond, the rest of the universe falling away.

Just when he thinks he might have to break the kiss to catch his breath, Elnor starts trailing kisses along his jaw.

“So what do you think?” Elnor asks, his breath tickling Hugh’s skin.

“Hmm?”

“Of kissing.”

That’s right, that’s what they’d been talking about.

“Definitely a fan,” he replies, his voice coming out rougher than he’d expected.

He feels the shape of Elnor’s lips change and realises he’s smiling against his skin.

“So, if I was your boyfriend, would you mind if I occasionally had sex with other people?” Elnor asks, continuing to drop kisses on his jaw and neck.

Would he mind, Hugh wonders? He doesn’t think so, not if it means Elnor gets all his needs met and Hugh still gets to have this.

“No, I don’t think so.”

Elnor sits back enough that Hugh can see his smile, triumphant, and perhaps also relieved.

“Good,” he says, like it’s all settled, and leans back in for another kiss.

Hugh’s going to have to think about this, of course. He’d never let himself imagine that he could ever even have a proper relationship.

He’ll have to think about it, but he suspects he’s going to reach conclusion that it’s absolutely perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading. I think the world needs more asexual fics but I always worry that people won't read them if I write them. I'm so glad you're here, thank you :)


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